Can Horses Eat Watermelon? Giving Horses A Refreshing Treat

Horses love to eat a myriad array of food items. Although they are known to consume mostly hay and grains, horses are curious creatures when it comes to food. This is why there are horse owners out there who will try to give horses with treats made from different foods that include sweets and even hotdogs.

One of the things that horses are known to like a lot are fruits. There are a lot of horses that have a sweet tooth and they are known to eat fully ripe ones such as bananas, strawberries and even pears. While most owners will only give them the typical apple, some are willing to give other fruits a try.

However, before you try to give your horse a full platter of fruit salad, you should understand that there are fruits that you should never give to horses. Fortunately, the watermelon is not one of them. But, you still have to be very careful when you give this fruit as a treat. Here’s what you need to know:

What Can Watermelons Provide?

Watermelons are not just great when it comes to flavor and texture. When fully ripened, a watermelon is oftentimes simply irresistible. With its sweet flavor and unique taste, the watermelon can easily entice our appetite and it can certainly attract the nose buds and taste buds of different animals.

Watermelons are not just delicious, they are also very refreshing. This fruit contains a lot of water, in fact, 90% of the fruit is made up of it. This makes the watermelon a great treat that you can give to yourself and to your horses during a hot summer day. They might even love to eat it cold.

This fruit however, only contains very few nutrients. This is why it should only be ﻿﻿given to horses as rewards or small treats. Although watermelons can taste exceptionally sweet when properly ripened, you should know that it only contains very little sugar, and a little fiber also.

Things To Consider When Giving Watermelon To Horses

If you want to give your horses a refreshing watermelon treat, you should try to remove as much seeds as you can. There are owners who have fed horses with the whole fruit for years without noticing any ill effects. However, some experts claim that eating seeds might not be good for horses.

When it comes to the watermelon rinds, you should know that although we do not like to eat it, horses can actually like its taste a lot. For as long as it is washed properly, the rinds are actually safe for your horses to eat. If the horses do not want to eat it, they will try to avoid biting it themselves.

If you are going to give watermelon to your horses, you should try to clean the rind to remove toxins from its surface. You should also try to cut it into manageable pieces so that the horse will not choke on it. Always use it in moderation so that the horse will not have to deal with colic or laminitis.

Conclusion

Watermelons are great tasting fruits. Many of us love it and horses can also enjoy eating it if they are given the chance to eat them by their owner or if they happen to find one in forage. Watermelons contain a lot of water and it can actually be used to keep your horses hydrated in summer.

However, as with all treats, owners should only give it in moderation. This is simply because giving horses too much of it can actually give them stomach problems or colic. While some owners say that they can give a whole watermelon to a horse, you should only do this once per week.

My name is Emily Taylor, gardening is my passion and I’m looking forward to sharing it with everyone. I know that there are millions of people out there want their backyard and garden be attractive just like their front yard, so I am here to help you create your own backyard paradise.